One thing Bruce pointed out that is important is this... a lot more cheapskates do not tip than you probably think. I once asked some RCI room stewards how many passengers do not tip at the end of a cruise and they said it is as high as 30%!!!!

Thirty percent is a lot. You might think you are getting better service because the tips are earned rather than expected, but at least with the new policy the crew is getting the money they actually deserve and not getting stiffed by the cheap-skates. Hopefully, that is an incentive to work harder.